Springfield Police Chief Kenny Winslow swore in three new officers Thursday to replace people who have retired.

The new officers, all men with military and college experience, have completed 15 weeks of training. Their next stop will be a minimum of 20 weeks of field training.

“All three come to us with military and college experience. Historically, that has been a good makeup,” Winslow said. “They’ve sacrificed for their country. They already know chain of command. I expect each one of them to succeed.”

The three new hires are all 27 years old. They are:

* Evan E. Delude: Attended Lincoln Land Community College, where he earned associate degrees in applied science and electrical distribution. He also served in the Army, where he earned a combat infantry badge while serving in Iraq.

* Cody L. Musson: Attended LLCC, where he earned an associate of applied science degree in pre-nursing. He also served as a military police officer in the Army.

* Nicholas Renfro: Earned a Bachelor of Science degree in law enforcement and justice administration at Western Illinois University in Macomb. He served in the Army National Guard and worked for more than two years as a Springfield Park District police officer.

The hires bring the department’s roster up to 238. The department has an authorized strength of 249.

The new officers’ training included 12 weeks at the Illinois State Police Academy and three weeks at the Springfield Police Academy. Seven potential new hires started the course, but only Delude, Musson and Renfro completed the courses.

Winslow said it isn’t uncommon for people to not complete the training. He described the training as boot camp with college-level courses.

“This career is not for everybody,” Winslow said. “Some decide it isn’t for them and they walk away. Some begin training and they can’t cut it.”

The group of three includes one minority officer. Renfro’s father is black, and his mother is Hispanic.